By PAUL JARVIS
Orem City is now one of only two cities in Utah to cross train police officers as fire fighters and fire fighters as police officers.
“We train the police and firemen in each other’s job so that each is certified to do the other’s position,” said Captain Mike Fenton of the Orem Public Safety Department.
Cross training officers and firefighters allows the city to have more personnel available when emergencies happen.
“If we had a major police or fire incident, the training keeps us so that we would have adequate staff to handle the emergency,” Fenton said. “We have the capability to go both ways with it at any time.”
Detective Bernie Turner said when there was a fire at the chemical plant on Geneva Road, many were called out to serve in dual-purpose positions and do anything from blocking off roads to fighting the fire.
Before a firefighter or police officer can serve in the other’s position, they must receive all of the training that certifies an individual for the job.
A firefighter receives 12 weeks of training at the Police Academy and 12 weeks with a field training officer, Fenton said.
“We went through the fire academy and became fire one certified, which is the beginning level for a certified fireman,” said Lt. Rex Skinner of the Orem Police Department.
The cross trained personnel must continually attend classes to maintain their certification.
“Firefighters must have 120 hours of training every three years and police must have forty hours each year,” Fenton said.
The department makes the training as realistic as possible.
“When we respond to a practice fire, we respond the same as the fire department would,” Turner said. “After we get the call and rush to the scene, the commander will give us an assignment that can be anything from controlling traffic to cutting a necessary hole into the building.”
Police feel the cross-training benefits the city on a daily basis.
“If the firefighters are not busy, it increases the number of people that we can have on the street at night, because the firefighters can patrol as officers,” Fenton said. “We can not guarantee that the firefighters will be available, but it is just a bonus when they are.”
The cross-training also allows police and firefighters to work together on routine calls.
“When you see the other guy doing something, you understand what he is doing and can help him by turning on a hydrant, rolling up a hose or whatever might be necessary,” Skinner said.
The program costs less in the long run than it would cost to maintain public safety in Orem without cross training.
“It reduces cost in upper-level management by having one public safety director rather than a separate fire chief and police captain,” Fenton said. “We also don’t have to hire a bunch of extra personnel to be on call for emergencies.”
